That Girl
by ArtsyChick
Summary: Nights like these were his favorite.


Kakashi casually itched his nose as he threw one long leg over the other and turned the page. Junko was in it deep this time, and although he already knew what was going to happen, he nevertheless shamelessly devoured the orange book's content.

Nights like these were his favorite. Seated on a wooden stool in front of Ichiraku, turning lazy circles as the street came alive with activity, the multicolored lights twinkling alongside heavy wooden signs and on the faces of men, women, and children. Aimless chatter, cheery laughter, shouts from shopkeepers and the occasional squealing of a moody child— all these sounds blended together into a pleasant melody drifting through his ears as he entertained himself with _Icha Icha _and a bowl of rapidly cooling ramen.

Of course, he would never share such private thoughts with his friends. If anyone discovered he _wasn't _actually a recluse, they might go into cardiac arrest on the spot. Or try and force an invitation out of him. Either option was unappealing; after all, doesn't the old cliché go, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it?'

Right. No need to split hairs over the little moments in life some god up there occasionally threw his way.

"Kakashi-sensei?" His charcoal eye lazily rose from the tiny black characters on the page to a strawberry mop of hair and two brilliant, verdant eyes. "What are you doing?"

He turned back to his book. "Reading," he answered.

His former pink-haired student hopped onto a stool beside him and, balancing her chin in her palm, gazed at his profile. "Reading what?" she asked sweetly.

As a reply, he held up the book. She nodded in understanding and was silent for a moment before she said, "What's it about?"

Kakashi rolled his eye up and stared at her face, stamped with a perfectly coy expression. "If I told you," he began, "you would be emotionally scarred for life." His gaze returned to his book again. "I don't have the kind of money to pay for a settlement."

Sakura laughed, reached over, and socked him on the arm. "I didn't know you ate here," she remarked. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Do I really get a choice?"

"Nope." Spinning on her stool, she ordered a bowl of ramen from the waitress.

As she sat there with one arm propped on the counter, the other's fingers idly tapping the wood, Kakashi lifted his gaze and let it wander her face.

He'd known her for… going on seven years now, wasn't it?… and he had never really taken the time to look at her, _really _look at her. She most certainly wasn't the precocious Genin obsessed with her teammate anymore; rather, she had matured into an intelligent, talented, pretty young woman.

No. 'Pretty' was definitely an understatement. Sakura wasn't anything less than 'beautiful'.

Sakura glanced around and caught him staring. "What?" she giggled, tugging a roseate strand behind her ear. "Something on my face?"

He snapped back to reality and promptly shook his head. "No, no there's not," he murmured.

She tilted her head. "You're freaking me out a little, sensei."

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, spreading to his eye. "Aren't you a little old to be calling me 'sensei?'" he inquired, flipping to the next page even though he couldn't remember what book he was reading.

She grinned. "Naruto still calls you sensei."

"Do you really want _that_ to be your reason?"

"Good point." She bit her lip. "What should I call you then?"

He shrugged. "My name would suffice, I think."

"You sure it's okay?"

"Sakura, people have been calling me 'Kakashi' for several years now. I think I'm used to it."

"All right. Kakashi then."

Sakura straightened up as the waitress carried over a bowl and set it in front of her. Taking the offered chopsticks, the young woman closed her eyes for a moment before breaking the wooden utensils apart and sticking them into the sticky noodles. "Did you already eat?" she mumbled around a mouthful of ramen.

Kakashi nodded. Seeing the slightly downcast look on her face however, made him call the waitress over again and order a cup of tea. Then he returned to his book as he absently stirred the amber liquid with one of his chopsticks.

Sakura noisily slurped her noodles, her cheeks turning pink as she dabbed at her dainty mouth with a napkin. "Do you come here often?"

"Are you hitting on me?" She glared at him as she punched him in the arm. "I was just pointing out that _that _is a lame pickup line."

"Are you sure? Because that sure sounded like your death wish."

Kakashi chuckled as he placed a hand on her chin and turned her face away from him. "Just shut up and eat your ramen."

Sakura shoved another mouthful of noodles between her lips. "Seriously," she continued, once she'd swallowed, "do you come here a lot or what?"

He again gave her his trademark shrug as he carelessly turned three more pages, although he hadn't read a single word in the last twelve minutes. "My sensei used to take me here after missions," he replied. "He could live off this stuff. I swear he ate it for every meal."

"Did he really?"

He raised two fingers. "Scout's honor."

She shook her head. "He sounds like Naruto."

"He _was_ like Naruto."

"So," she leaned her elbows against the counter, "what do you do here?"

For some reason beyond him, Kakashi didn't feel awkward confiding in her. They had been through their fair share of messes over the years, and although the feelings were unacknowledged, he felt closer and more comfortable with his only female student than he ever had with the two boys in his squad.

"Read, usually," he began, closing his book, "but sometimes I sit and watch the crowds. It's funny when the shopkeepers can convince people to pay exorbitant amounts of money for cheap trinkets and knickknacks."

He glanced at her and was floored by the expression on her face. It was surprise and… and something else, something he'd never seen in her features before.

Or maybe he'd never been paying enough attention to notice.

"Do you do it a lot?" she asked softly, her voice having dropped to a cracked whisper.

"Yeah. But it's not a big deal Sakura. Really."

It was clear by her frown that she didn't believe him. _He_ found it hard to believe, but he couldn't let her see his apprehension.

"Don't give me that look," he murmured, reaching up and brushing a pink lock away from her glittering emeralds.

"What look?"

"Like I'm some kind of abused puppy."

"Sorry." She averted her eyes.

The corners of his mouth quirked upward as he placed his hand on top of her head and fondly ruffled her hair. "You're such a sweet girl Sakura. I hope you know that."

Her cheeks tinged pink, and she gave him a wan half-smile. "Sure sensei. But it sounds weird coming from you."

"Yeah, I know."

Sakura really smiled this time and patted his arm as Kakashi's heart began to pound a little faster. Letting his hand rest on her shoulder and hers on his arm, they watched the crowd of shoppers fluctuate around the quaint ramen shop.

Inwardly, Kakashi chuckled. He was wrong. _This _night left all the other ones behind.


End file.
